About Grumpy

My name is Maria. Children often call me Mia. I answer to both. I have loved books since I was a child. I grew up visiting the library with my mom, and going home with a stack of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mysteries along with biographies of Florence Nightingale, Clara Barton, John Paul Jones, and others. My love of reading blossomed from there. Later, I moved on to Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and of course, Margaret Mitchell and Harper Lee.

I grew up in Alabama, but have lived in North Carolina, Colorado, Michigan, and now Florida. Travel, in and of itself, is an education which, among other things, shows us the way “we” do things is not the only way. Reading does the same, but with more imagination.

My favorite books are mysteries and historical fiction, especially if time travel is involved, but I love a good thriller, political drama, and romance, too. I am a Christian, and I do review Christian fiction, but I manage to keep my religious and political views out of my reviews. Those political views just might surprise you!

In addition to working as a proofreader and editor for various authors, I am a Master Gardener, and volunteer time at our local Ask the Master Gardener Plant Clinic and local seminars on Florida Friendly Landscaping. I am also active in local politics and am an amateur research genealogist.

I review the books of not only my favorite authors, but of many others suggested to me by publishers and literary agents. I also accept manuscripts and pre-published books and articles from authors for proofreading and reviews. In each review I provide links to the website of the author. I sincerely hope you enjoy this site, and will visit often.

You may ask why this book reviewer is grumpy.

I was grumpy mainly because my preferred name for this site was already taken. So was every really good domain name I could think of, so I became quite frustrated and, well, grumpy. I’m over it now; and I promise not to take it out on the books or their authors.